1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus useful for procedures in growing cells or tissue culture in vitro and more particularly for supporting, positioning and/or centering cell culture inserts that are used in the procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Culture vessels are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,495,289 and 5,026,649 and European Patent Application No. 0 483 620 A2. Culture vessels comprise wells which generally have a circular shape and size which permits the introduction therein of a cell culture insert having a membrane upon which cell attachment, growth and differentiation occur. The culture vessels containing the wells are typically rectangular and have a standard size in order to accommodate standard analytical apparatus.
Conventional cell culture inserts used in culture vessels are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,871,674 and 5,026,649. U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,674 discloses a cell culture insert which comprises discontinuous projecting parts for hanging the cell culture insert on an upper circumferential part of the culture vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,649 discloses a cell culture insert which comprises a projecting part for hanging the culture cell on an upper circumferential part of the culture vessel, and further includes openings in the sidewalls for exchanging gas and for pipeting sample.
Although there are a number of culture vessels and cell culture inserts commercially available and described in patent publications, it is believed that there are no culture vessels or cell culture inserts available that can be used together to support, position and/or center a cell culture insert without interfering with the growing of tissue cultures in vitro.